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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

ADF Seeking Adaptive Vehicle Camouflage

The Australian Defense Force just recently switched over to MultiCam as their camouflage of choice in Afghanistan and now they are seeking a more versatile concealment option for their vehicles. Research will be done by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) and the University of South Australia. They are at first seeking a means to create a chameleon like material that will change colors to match the surrounding environment combined with other visible elements present at any given time.

RAA 4SQN CCTCredit: Commonwealth of Australia

The DSTO will seek to use electrochromic materials that will change color with varied voltage. The other obvious task is to create a viable solution that can be applied to a military vehicle and meet the rigors of use in the field. They note that the technology is years in the making and will still need to address other spectrums including infrared, among others after they cover the visible element. BAE Systems already has the base covered for concealing a vehicles infrared signature with their ADAPTIV technology by matching the IR wavelength of surrounding objects.

Any developments from this project could be combined with other efforts in creating advanced vehicle concealment that spans multiple spectrums, assuming different entities agree to combine resources. Obviously there is no issue with sharing uniform camouflage patterns, so it is not a stretch that a multi-nation collaboration through private or government entities could create the technology they are seeking. Read the full report including the science behind their plan for an adaptive camouflage system at: DSTO.Defence.gov.au